How we scaled Stripe from 4 to 94 employees

Transcript

1. How we scaled Stripe from 4 to 94 employees Greg

   Brockman Stripe CTO // @thegdb

2. You only get to pick one top priority

3. None

4. Tier 1: 4 → 8

5. Tier 1: 4

6. “Learn it on the job” is just a nice way

   of saying “make it up as you go” Tier 1: 4

7. How Stripe got its name Tier 1: 4

8. Communication, communication, communication Tier 1: 4

9. In January 2011, we went on a “hack trip” to

   Rio Tier 1: 4

10. Tier 1: 4

11. Tier 1: 4

12. Tier 1: 4

13. Friends make great candidates, if you can get the timing

    right Tier 1: 4

14. Tier 2: 8 → 20

15. Tier 2: 8

16. First time we didn’t magically know what everyone else was

    working on Tier 2: 8

17. The Great API Debate Tier 2: 8

18. Tier 2: 8

19. Launch was just a month away… ! (for 11 months)

    Tier 2: 8

20. ISO8583 Night Tier 2: 8

21. Launch day! Tier 2: 8

22. Teams as buckets of work Tier 2: 8

23. CTF Tier 2: 8

24. Tier 2: 8

25. Tier 2: 8

26. Tier 3: 20 → 50

27. Tier 3: 20

28. Tier 3: 20

29. Build vs run Tier 3: 20

30. Teams as organizational units Tier 3: 20

31. “Org scaling” meetings Tier 3: 20

32. First investments in cultural documentation Tier 3: 20

33. We’re still learning on the job… Tier 3: 20

34. Tier 3: 20

35. Tier 3: 20

36. Tier 4: 50 → 94

37. Tier 4: 50

38. Teams as units of identity Tier 4: 50

39. Organizations have emergent behaviors. Pay attention, and tune the behaviors

    that don’t make sense. Tier 4: 50

40. Lack of structure used to help us get things done.

    ! Now lack of structure was getting in the way. Tier 4: 50

41. If it’s not written down, it’s lost Tier 4: 50

42. Tier 4: 50

43. Tier 4: 50

44. Team hacktrips: Hawaii, Mexico, Montreal, North Dakota… Tier 4: 50

45. Tier 5: 94 → ??

46. Talk to lots of people who have done it Tier

    5: 94

47. High risk, high reward system improvement projects Tier 5: 94

48. Will let you know in a year Tier 5: 94

49. Greg Brockman Stripe CTO // @thegdb